Can Separation Help a Marriage Survive

Can separation help a marriage survive? In some cases, it certainly can. If you and your partner agree to a marriage separation, you can take the time to go to counseling and give yourself a moment to reflect on your problems and how you want to fix them together. This is also a good idea particularly if you have children who are caught in the middle of fighting and arguments. You can remove these elements and just focus on therapy and working on the relationship.

Seek Professional HelpIf you do decide to separate, it is a must to go to a professional to help you individually and as a couple to work through your marital issues. Your time apart is meant to be productive and help you realize the mistakes you've made and plot out ways in which you can fix them. Your therapist will set guidelines, give you topics to reflect on and provide exercises to help the two of you get back on the same page.

Controlling The SituationBy planning out a separation with your spouse, you're both agreeing to do this in an attempt to save your marriage. In many cases, couples who are having issues will continue to live together until there is an outrageous fight where one partner may wind up leaving at a moment's notice, creating an extreme amount of tension. Before you decide to separate, discuss with your spouse what you ultimately want to have happen during your time apart and perhaps set goals for the issues you want to work on. If you decide the separation needs to be semi-long-term, it's best to look into the separation laws for the state you currently reside in to see what the legal implications are.

Spousal ContactYou can work with your therapist on how often you should see each other and what type of contact you should have on a weekly and daily basis. This may vary depending on the couple and each particular situation, but it's important to have constructive contact. By doing this, you are showing your partner you are still committed to working on your relationship, rather than heading straight for divorce court.

There are many reasons for marriage separation; while it might seem as if no one understands the problems faced by you and your partner, you are hardly alone in facing difficulty. Learn about the common reasons for why people take a break and why that break doesn't necessarily mean you will break up.

Marriage separation statistics strongly suggest that separation isn't necessarily the first step on the road to divorce. If you take a responsible and focused approach to saving your marriage, it could in fact be saved.